casablancalover

Puccini. Madame Butterfly: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpW8Jvl9low

Thanks Sineaste. He's got a great deep voice. Highway Patrol... They were all over I-35E and US55 here today. Maybe the lovely early Spring weather brings them out.

> {quote:title=FiendishThingie wrote:}{quote} > > {quote:title=casablancalover wrote:}{quote} > > It's a lot like life. Even if there's a twist in your life story, it makes the expected goal that much more satisfying. > > Well-put. And it is almost a necessary outcome, considering the amount of patience and restraint Garson's character exercised throughout the film. To rob her and the viewers of that reward--the reunion of Paula and Smithy--would have been too much of a downer for such a romantic film. I am so glad the movie has the ending we see. It's not Madame Butterfly. Edited by: casablancalover on Feb 27, 2010 9:18 PM,

Thanks MM, I will up the stakes. *O Fortuna*, for Orff's Carmina Burana: Click on the (more info) on right of the youtube clip to read translation.. Edited by: casablancalover on Feb 27, 2010 3:07 PM

You play my two favorites of Johnny Cash, then you follow it up with a great article. Thank you. h5. And thanks for the Michael Bolton..._post_ haircut.

*Thank you, thank you, thank you! ! !* *Love that version!*

Give people the ending they want, even if it isn't quite the one they are expecting. The ending is the desired one. Nothing wrong with that! Not every great story has a surprise ending. It's a lot like life. Even if there's a twist in your life story, it makes the expected goal that much more satisfying.

> {quote:title=Swithin wrote:}{quote} > Actually, I was thinking of the later scene between Greer and Philip Dorn, right after Colman proposes to Greer so that she can be his sort of society hostess. Dorn (the shrink) tells her to "stick to his terms." I remember that scene. You can see Greer's(Margaret) heart sink, at the thought of the coolness at which Colman(Charles) will be treating her. Yet, she agrees to the bargain. Marrying Charles will become a transaction between them. She wants to be loved again, and it may never happen. Margaret may feel that Charles so cared for Kitty, and now Margaret will be just the fill-in for society's sake. What a lousy turn of events. That's why Margaret cries about beads. Frustration with the whole situation. > But I think one of the most moving scenes in the film is the scene with Greer crying over the cheap beads. That scene makes me cry too. It is the seemingly meaningless connections to our past that brings rise to the deepest emotions. Remember when Paula/Margaret says: *Smithy, do I always have to take the initiative?* Those lines come back to me too in this part of the story. It is so true. Edited by: casablancalover on Feb 26, 2010 8:32 AM- I looked up the quote.

Haha. I think I get it too, JF.. Just looking at it, yes, it should be censored I am not saying anything more. ;-)

> {quote:title=Sprocket_Man wrote:}{quote} > No, that's not it at all. Dr Benet counsels against Paula's telling Charles that they'd been husband and wife when he was "Smithy" because the Doctor fears that -- even though Charles would probably do the honorable thing and resume married life with Paula -- he'd resent Paula's coming between him and Kitty, ensuring that neither of them would ever be truly happy. That's what I remember from the story too. This is where I think my friend got lost over the subterfuge. I can understand it. It was sort of muddling though how the Doctor wanted Paula. I mean, she's beautiful, but it added an element in the story that ups the stakes wrong. Maybe I'm being too picky about it. Maybe the writer just wanted to demonstrate Paula's resolve -- as if looking for Smithy without an ounce of resentment in her heart wasn't enough. Her nobility about it is stunning. I admire it.

The Discussion my friend and I had was basically she thought why not come right out and say it!! I thought the circumstances, and time lost made by approaching a member of the landed gentry by a woman who used to work the stage, and her rather fantastic story very un-plausible. Also, her discovery of Charles was not immediate; It is suggested that it takes place about 4 years After Charles returns to the family estate, business and financial affairs, so about 7 years since she last saw him. That is why she probably has her marriage terminated by the court, and can do so. And there's the not so small matter why she does this. Kitty. That must have broken Paula/Margaret's heart all over again, to see another woman in her place, and so much younger and eager to marry her sweet Charles. I think Paula/Margaret just wanted to learn more. Well, How's my theory?

> {quote:title=audreyforever wrote:}{quote} > Everyone should watch the intro to Random Harvest as an Essential in the TCM Media Room, done by Sydney Pollack. *Nice suggestion. Thank you.* >scsu1975 wrote: >Because then she'd have to explain to Charles that, after he wandered off, she shacked up with some guy named Miniver. *That occurred to me too. And how would she explain that her son (Richard Ney), is really her boyfriend? Or was Ney her first husband?* >FredCDobbs wrote: >The first time I saw the movie, I didn?t think of that. >The second and third time I saw it, then I did think of that. >The answer is, I don?t know. >The same when they got married that second time, but had separate bedrooms. Why didn?t she just kiss him and act coy and start the romance all over again? After all, it was her that he liked in the first place. *I think she did have hopes a little of doing just that. But Charles is sort of a fussbudget. Smithy was not. Maybe she thought, she should try to get the "Smithy" to come out.. Our discussion followed another path. More about that...* >I suppose there is some ?psychological? reason she didn?t do it, perhaps on the advice of her doctor friend, or maybe on the advice of the director or screenwriter. *Oh, this screenplay is the work of a novelist! Right down to the _KEY_ to the mystery of Charles lost years. Maybe he was writing screenplays now. My understanding it was originally a novel.* If I knew I would get reaction like this, I wish Renee would have said something sooner.

h4. What's Love Got To Do With It? That is the same reason I don't care for Duel In the Sun. This is LOVE? No. This is mutual self-loathing by two selfish, game playing pretty people. Edited by: casablancalover on Feb 25, 2010 7:37 PM

Yes, that was exactly the type of conversation I had. But I will send a PM with the precise wording he used.

h4. Spoiler Alert! Random Harvest is a lovely movie, but I've been in a quandary with a friend over motivations of Paula/Margaret. This friend felt that Paula should have told Smithy/Charles right away about the lost years. She couldn't understand why she would involve herself with subterfuge. What do you think? I am going to have my morning coffee now, and think about it. Edited by: casablancalover on Feb 25, 2010 7:30 AM

Great choices, JF, and I found 2 different ones at about the same time. George Harrison, and some fine company: and a fun solo bit: h5. Happy birthday, George, where ever you are up there.. Edited by: casablancalover on Feb 24, 2010 11:00 PM, because she appreciates being here. Thanks Jake.

It is even stranger than that! My phone and internet are bundled, yet I had phone, but no WiFi. My Apt building has a dedicated contract to some fly-by-night outfit for satellite. I am too stubborn to pay for myself, so I would watch the best (when available) in the party room on their BIG screen. Party room was occupied, and lost the opportunity. Must try NetFlix next.

> {quote:title=sineaste wrote:}{quote} >The title of the Mirren movie is The Passion of Ayn Rand. Yuck already. *The Passion...? *Oh dear..* >It shows up on IFC or Sundance once in a blue moon. One thing I truly admire about Dame > Helen is her willingness to do anything to make her role more realistic, even if that includes removing most of her clothing. What a trouper. Now here's a mental image to make one wince: Ayn and Ducky in an intimate love in the afternoon embrace. Atlas Hurled. *You get extra points for Atlas Hurled. Excellent! My most memorable Mirren performance is Morgana Le Fey in Excalibur* *Analle, non thrach, ...* *--Damn-- Darn, she was good at words of enchantment. I wonder if that's available in Rosetta Stone?* > >Wink? How has that erudite publication slipped my conscientious? > I really don't notice. I'm too busy reading the articles on Hungarian Medieval Poetry, etc., though they did have a centerfold of Lillian Hellman a few years back that created quite a stir. *This is WINK? It does have a catchier title than the Utne Reader..* > >No comment. And no, I didn't have anything to do with my ex's girlfriend being run down in the parking lot. I just thought, being younger she could get out of the way faster... _And of course, I just missed her. No woman were harmed in the parking lot of the shopping center..._ > > That's the trouble with some of these kids today, they need to get more exercise. No pain, > no gain. *Her especially. She out-weighed me. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I have a very small frame, that's all. I needed the _small, indescript foreign car_ just to make it fair!* Edited by: casablancalover on Feb 25, 2010 7:33 AM

> {quote:title=sineaste wrote:}{quote} > Just when you think it's safe to get out of the canal. Well, maybe that's what Betsy wants > right now. Safe and secure, a big change from old rover. But some years down the line > ...um...er... things might change. Not to be morbid, just counting the years, but Henry > might be six feet under by now, the best place for a moderate Republican. > > I dunno. I still can't see Westchester Betty with the Warhol gang. Horse droppings? Kid, you > ain't seen nothing yet!! How about a dream sequence where Betty is plagued by one of those > kids' dolls that come to life to torment somebody? She's in her bed, when suddenly it starts > to walk toward her: "I don't like you. I'm going to cut up all your charge cards. I've canceled > your country club membership. I've burned your last pair of white gloves. *INT. BETSY'S BEDROOM - NIGHT* *Betsy wakes startled to see Sally's Barbie race up the covers with large scissors around her small plastic shoulder. Barbie is wearing the "Nitey Night" ensemble. With her (Barbie) pouty lips and cold stare, she shrieks,* *BARBIE* *"I don't like you. I'm going to cut up all your charge cards. I've canceled your country club membership. I've burned your last pair of white gloves."* > Haven't seen that one in a long time. Did you catch Ruggles of Red Gap last night? That's > another I haven't seen in a while, and it's held up really well. Hauty mondy. Funny. *Didn't have internet, so didn't have TCM..*

> {quote:title=sineaste wrote:}{quote} > >Oh God, The Fountainhead. > (THE FOUNTAINHEAD)- spur line.. > I've seen bits and pieces of that one over the years, but never the whole picture. I suppose I'll have > to take my medicine one of these days. Nutty old Ayn Rand. Her personal life was right out of a Hollywood movie. Didn't Helen Mirren play her in a biopic not that long ago? Ayn got a break with that piece of casting. *Loved Mirren, but missed that. See Calendar Girls? Ayn Rand was noted in not allowing one word of dialog be changed in Fountainhead. All that blathering is ALL HERS.* > I should cut Mother GoshDarn a break. Since Jerry was married, he was the one who committed > adultery, if such there actually was. CV was just the co-respondent, again if. With or without, it's still sounds icky to me, even with Aunt Charlotte's Good Time Wienie Roast open houses. Now, > wait a minute. I subscribe to Wink magazine solely for the articles on the important social > questions of the day. Lusting in his heart. Once again, going to stop right there. *Wink? How has that erudite publication slipped my conscientious? Does it have purdy pictures?* > Got to bring the blokes in somehow. Hey boys, my vocal chords are up here. Well, Colman was > around 51 and Garson around 38, so that's not too much of a gap by Hollywood or even real life > standards. But they shouldn't wait too much longer. Maybe Ronnie's character just has a bad > case of gout. *No comment. And no, I didn't have anything to do with my ex's girlfriend being run down in the parking lot. I just thought, being younger she could get out of the way faster... _and she did._* Edited by: casablancalover on Feb 25, 2010 7:18 AM

h5. . . .I married you because you looked like _her_. > {quote:title=Sprocket_Man wrote:}{quote} > > {quote:title=casablancalover wrote:}{quote} > > Random Harvest has great storytelling, but some viewers can't get past how "mature" Coleman looks. Are we to buy into a middle-aged soldier? How old do we think he is? > > In Britain, with its rigid class structure, a man of Charles Ranier's station in life would automatically be made an officer upon his joining the "forces' (as the Brits call them), and officers could, and would, be of almost any age (though the junior officers, who actually did most of the fighting, and dying, in the trenches and on the battlefields were, for the most part, in their early-mid 20s), so there's nothing at all unusual about a man like Ranier serving. > > Remember, also, that back in the period 1910-1920, a man in his mid-late thirties would typically look like a man in his fifties does today (Colman was 51 when the film was released), so it's not at all far-fetched to believe that Charles Ranier is no older than 39 when he escapes the asylum (meaning he was 35 at the outbreak of WWI). You explained it far, far, better than I. I kept saying, *"Pay attention to the story."* Yet, there I was, going on and on about his voice. My BFFs really loved the introduction of Miss Hanson. Had to pick one friend up off the floor. I love to witness these things.

h4. I must get back to work.. But before I go... > {quote:title=sineaste wrote:}{quote} > The Old Believers were always a tough crowd, here, or back in the pre-U.S.S.R. Oh, that old > suave, slick Henreid. No sooner does Ilsa go back to their state room, and he's table hopping, > trying to light up Bette. *Don't mind the wifey back at house, and her sour expression either. You can tell she ain't gettin' and she'd kill for a cigarette! I would rather be Ilsa, any day...* >The nerve of these continentals types. I didn't notice the wine on the > table, so I guess it's after 11 am. Bette might bend some Back Bay rules, but I don't think she's > go this far this early. Architect? This guy's no more an architect than George Constanza is. *No more than Howard ROARK.. I do this for Jake.. Oh God, The Fountainhead. Don't get us started.. it deserves it's own thread..* > Did Jerry and Charlotte actually commit adultery? I know we'd never see it, but there's sometimes > the sun rose, etc. hint. I thought the dirty deed might have happened when they got stuck in the > car overnight, but it's left unclear. It was nice that CV was going to help raise Christina and all, but > the whole 'it's almost our child' thing was just a bit on the creepy side. *Hum, ironically the thing that takes away the creepiness is the act. Then her discovery of Tina has a rebirth. It seems the book merely suggested, and didn't give details either. But then, this is a girl talking, and we --like-- --the-- --written--, --instead-- of --pictures-- Do not go there. But as a President once said, he had lusted in his heart.* > I haven't seen Random Harvest for years, but you can't go wrong with a chorus girl and a > guy with amnesia. Good old-fashioned Hollywood victuals, nice and tasty. *Who chose the costumes for her big number in the Dance Hall? When I hear her sing, I know why the skirt is so short. Distraction. Suddenly she looks not so young. But then, neither is Coleman.*

Yes, Henry's kind and caring, but a cuddly puppy. Trouble is, a cuddly type like that, well, you start thinking that a real puppy would be better. Henry would be a cute name for a little Yorkie. Purse dogs, so cute. Yeah, Henry kind and caring in late '63-'64, but what is he like NOW? Tea-bagger, or Greenspan acolyte? Either way, it is a paradox. Betty will adjust to Warhol _easy_. Remember she's seen her share of horse droppings on the Westchester Bridal Path. Now that my internet is back, I'm thinking about Random Harvest now... just thought I'd let you know..

Yeah, a first date involves nursing him through Spanish Influenza.

h4. ... Or why can't get a job at Olive Garden That's the one! I've heard smoking increases wrinkles. To see Bette in her later years would confirm that. But I love the hat, and I love Jerry's hair. Great pic. Wonder what they're drinking? Cointreaus, or Champagne Cocktails? I get Paul Henreid's drink orders mixed up! Hum, South America; maybe it's Malbec.